For Chris O’Donnell, starring in 9-1-1: Nashville comes with one constant: the unexpected. As the newest face of Ryan Murphy’s high-octane franchise, the actor has quickly learned that the line between “too outrageous” and “shockingly real” is thinner than anyone imagines.
O’Donnell, 55, leads the ABC series as Captain Don Hart, the steady hand of Firehouse 113. Working alongside his two on-screen sons, he tackles every conceivable disaster Music City can throw at him — tornadoes, runaway kites, collapsing water slides, and more.
But even with more than a decade of TV experience under his belt, some scripts still stop him in his tracks.
“Sometimes I’ll read a scene and think, ‘Oh, come on,’” O’Donnell tells PEOPLE.
“It feels absurd — and then I find out it actually happened.”
When Fiction Looks a Lot Like Real Life
Recent episodes have included lightning storms, twisters, and a water slide that catastrophically breaks apart. And while O’Donnell expected the big disasters, it’s the small, bizarre emergencies that keep catching him off guard.
“We did an episode with a water slide malfunction,” he recalls.
“Then suddenly clips start popping up on my social media — the exact same thing happening in real life.”
(Indeed, earlier this year, a Royal Caribbean passenger was injured in a nearly identical incident.)
And then there was the Murphy bed sequence.
“I was laughing so hard. I called the producers and said, ‘There’s no way this is real,’” he says.
“They immediately sent me a link to a news article. Every time I question it, they prove me wrong.”
Embracing the Chaos
After 14 seasons on NCIS: Los Angeles, O’Donnell knew joining the 9-1-1 universe meant embracing a new level of wildness. Still, even he wasn’t prepared for just how far the show would go.
“It’s insane, and it never stops,” he says with a laugh.
“My friends thought I was doing a simple fireman drama. Then they turned on the premiere and saw a girl getting carried off by a kite. They were in shock.”
The franchise, he says, has a distinct identity — a mix of emotion, adrenaline, and over-the-top emergencies that fans can’t get enough of.
“It’s a very specific brand,” he adds.
“People tune in for the chaos. You have to lean into the fun.”
A Nashville Twist: Music and Melodrama
While 9-1-1: Nashville shares the franchise’s signature high-stakes rescues, O’Donnell says the new series has another flavor: a dash of primetime soap.
Set against Nashville’s musical backdrop, the show layers in the dramatic Hart family saga — including Don’s complicated history with his wife Blythe (Jessica Capshaw), his sons Ryan (Michael Provost) and Blue (Hunter McVey), and Blue’s mother Dixie (LeAnn Rimes).
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/911-nashville-4-111325-0c14c036848d4df4ab9615d5f8cef35a.jpg)
“Ours has a bit of that Dynasty energy on top of the action,” O’Donnell explains.
“It gives the show its own personality.”
Off-screen, however, it’s nothing but harmony.
“Our cast couldn’t be nicer,” he says.
“There’s a really positive energy on set.”
What’s Next
The adrenaline won’t slow down anytime soon. 9-1-1: Nashville airs its fall finale tonight at 9 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, with the explosive action returning on January 8.
